Sedation for my three year old.

[StarsAreShining]

My son is having a blood test to check his hormone levels. The test has been attempted before, but his veins are very well hidden so the tests have been unsuccessful. He's having a cannula fitted. Their last attempt was quite traumatic for him, so he's going to be sedated for this one.

I don't know what to expect. I requested the sedation because he fought and screamed for hours during the last attempt. The nurse has told me that it'll be as though he's in a deep sleep and will wake up once it's been fitted, but that isn't what it says online. Does anybody have any experience of this? Will he be responsive? Will he be wearing an oxygen mask or hooked up to any machines? I'd like to prepare myself because I imagine it could look quite shocking/upsetting.

When Ds was sedated at 8 weeks it was given orally. When he came round he was rather dopy (but he was very ill at the time). I would imagine only a tiny but will be used so he should be fine after.

I would talk to the nurse before it happens to find out what the expect.

Probably not much help but hopes it goes well!

He won't remember a thing about it - he'll be awake but totally groggy and out of it. My grandmother dislocated her shoulder and was sedated so they could pop in back in - she was awake, but after they'd done it she asked when they were going to do it. No register of what had happened.

They probably will give him a bit of oxygen, and monitor his heart rate. This is just a standard precaution. He'll bounce back pretty quickly after the sedation, kids always do. I think groggy and calm is preferable to screaming and panicked, though neither is very nice for the parent.

last year when my DD was 3 she had to have an NG tube (naso gastric tube down her nose to her stomach) inserted for which she was sedated.

She was given the sedation orally via a syringe and then it was a case of sit and wait for it to take effect - about 40 mins I think. Having been so worried about the whole thing I have to say I actually found it quite funny! DD was just like a 'mini me' on a night out and was swaying quite gently and coming out with all sorts of random things :)

Once the nurses felt she was relaxed enough they got her to lay on the bed with me lying alongside her and then they inserted the tube. She was aware of what was going on and did try to fight the nurse off but the job was done quickly and efficiently.

I would have to agree that I doubt she remembered much about it afterwards so it obviously worked well, so much so that when she had to have another tube inserted a few days later she was happy to walk into the treatment room with me to go through the procedure again

good luck and hopefully it wont be half as bad as you imagine